Christmas 2022

 

Some gifts you can give this Christmas are beyond monetary value: Mend a quarrel, dismiss suspicion, tell someone, "I love you." Give something away--anonymously. Forgive someone who has treated you wrong. Turn away wrath with a soft answer. Visit someone in a nursing home. Apologize if you were wrong. Be especially kind to someone with whom you work. Give as God gave to you in Christ, without obligation, or announcement, or reservation, or hypocrisy.  Charles Swindoll

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Another Christmas has come.  Thank you for allowing me to share my love of Christmas; of our Savior, Jesus Christ; and of our Father in Heaven with each of you.  It has been a month of ups and downs for me, so I appreciate your patience and understanding.  Let us remember to share the God-given gifts we have received with those around us: prayer, hope, compassion, listening, knowledge, kindness, peace and love –always love.  I'll close with one more story and a poem. Merry Christmas and happy New Year.  Until next December ~~ Marilee

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Recently a few days before Christmas I witnessed an act done by someone who understood the true meaning of Christmas. I was in a pharmacy when a woman walked in with two children, a girl maybe 8 years old, and a boy maybe 10-12. The girl was quiet and staying several feet away from the woman and boy. The woman was restraining the boy with both arms as they walked up to the counter. The boy was making shrieks and noises, yelling or mumbling random words and phrases, while struggling against his mother. He is autistic.

 

Looking obviously like she was under extreme stress and strain, the woman spoke loudly but hesitantly to the pharmacist. She was struggling to concentrate while holding the child and be heard over his noises. She could hardly focus enough to speak. She asked the prices of her medicines. The pharmacist told her that the autistic child's medicines were free, paid for by the state Medicaid program. But hers were not free. And though she had insurance, she could not afford the prices that she had to pay for her medicines. She said, "I'll just take the Prozac. I can't get the others. I only have $28 to live on the whole week. She was ashamed, stuttering and stammering, and having a very hard time dealing with the autistic child and her transaction at the same time.

 

In the meantime, another lady had been standing 15-20 feet away, waiting her turn. She walked up beside the mother and said to the pharmacist, "I'll pay for her medicine. Let me pay for her medicine." The pharmacist looked back and forth at the two women as suddenly a hush came over the autistic child.

 

There were several seconds of hesitation as the pharmacist and the strained mother took in what was happening. Then the second woman again said, "Let me pay for her medicine." The pharmacist looked at her and said, "It's up to her," then looked at the young mother and said, "It's up to you." The young mother turned and focused completely on the older woman for the first time as the older woman talked to her instead of the pharmacist this time. "Can I pay for your medicine?" asked the second lady in a voice that showed she was asking for permission.

 

The young mother just broke out crying while nodding her head. All she could say was "Thank you," five or ten times. Then the second woman paid for the medicine as the autistic child now waited quietly and patiently. As soon as the transaction was done, the young mother and children left.

 

They missed the rest of the story. The second lady then proceeded to get her own medicine from the pharmacist. And it turned out that she herself was on the state Medicaid program, which is for people below the poverty level that do not have enough money to pay for their own medicine. She, out of her own poverty, had paid $70 for the medicine of someone that she did not know, but loved and served.

 

The meaning of Christmas can be found in that kind of example. Jesus Christ gave up His high position and became our servant, to show His love to us. Today we should begin celebrating by honoring Jesus and emulating Him.

 

Extracted from www.christmaspirit.com

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Jesus, the very thought of Thee

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest.

Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
Nor can the mem’ry find
A sweeter sound than Thy blest name,
O Savior of mankind!

O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

All those who find Thee find a bliss
Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.

Jesus, our only joy be Thou,
As Thou our prize will be;
Jesus, be Thou our glory now,
And through eternity.